Laura Vegas

my neighbor, ayana, had on the cutest dress last week … with the cutest little caterpillar on it. i kept telling her how cute it was. then i told her that i could totally be inspired by her dress … the caterpillar, the colors. then i rememberd this really cute caterpillar felt embellishment that i had at home … and i told her that i could take some photos of her in the dress … and then scrap a layout with that embellishment. well, she came by yesterday for about 5 mintues … just so i could take a few photos!

 

isn't ayana adorable? she is always up for photos too … her mom tells me that she practices posing at home. so cute!

 

 

although we didn't plan for the shoes. i guess ayana told her mom that it didn't matter what shoes she wears … because i never get her feet in the shot. which is totally true! except this one photo … because i just sort of took it while she kneeled down to chat with nikolas. otherwise, i would have had her take her shoes off. and yes, nikolas was running around like crazy while we did this.

 

sadly … i have realized that my cute little felt caterpillar embellishment does NOT match the dress. lol! but not to worry … i also realized last night that these photos will work perfectly with a little something i have going on next week! so they will be making their way onto a layout soon! thanks ayana!

i hope you've been checking out "education week" over on the MM blog this week. all week long, there have been some great new ideas for different products and tools. today is my turn … and my assignment was to use the Slice in a new and fun way. i know, i know … i'm a lucky girl to have such a fun assignment! here's a peek at what i came up with … but you have to go check it out HERE on the MM blog to see the rest of it!

  

and yesterday … just for fun … i decided to do another layout using the same idea. except i decided to go with the hearts … loving the hearts lately!

removed for publication

i grabbed one of the first photos i came across that i thought would work … which was a photo of haley. and then i just randomly picked a jar of flowers and buttons. they happen to be the 5th avenue ones … so that's what i went with (the beauty of working with a black and white photo!). i don't like to mess around too much picking out product and embellishments during the day … because my studio area is right by the little ones napping. and you know i don't want to wake anyone before they're ready. lol! so i just grabbed a few things and made it work.

here's where i would probably give you more details. but if you go read about my first layout on the MM blog … i think you'll understand what i did with this one and get all the details. but feel free to ask any other questions if you want!

 

i scrapped today … just for fun. and it was nice! two layouts … one of which i'm going to share with you on friday … since it goes with something else that will go up on friday. so this will have to tide you over until then.

  

last weekend, i needed some photos for an assignment … and i didn't have any that fit the theme. so i asked megan if i could borrow a few of her photos … since she had some that fit. and she was nice enough to take some time out of her weekend to dig them up and send them to me. but then i felt bad … because turns out, they weren't quite what i needed. but i had printed this one already … so figured i'd scrap it for her as a "thank you"!

and i'm not bragging or anything … but 30 minutes people … this layout took me 30 minutes! all right … maybe i am bragging a little. but only because i usually spend hours and days on my layouts! lol! although this layout was made simple by using that entire sheet of MM word-fetti stickers! i saw that idea ages ago and had always wanted to do it. i just adhered the entire sheet of stickers (with the backing, do not peel each one off. lol!) to a piece of cardstock … and then adhered it to my layout with large pop-dots. 

supplies:
scalloped cardstock - bazzill
die cut strip – creative cafe
transparency word – heidi swapp
ribbon, chipboard, brads, tag, stickers - making memories  
other – staples, saftey pin, thread

take one of these (but the old version) … and one of these (only the really old version without the fancy ramp) … and then add in about 16 of these … and this is what you might see when you walk into the family room.

 

you know exactly what i said when i walked downstairs and saw this? "what the heck is going on HERE?"! and it was funny … because it was late at night. and the girls were in bed. and i had no idea when this even happened. or what they were all doing there.

 

i thought it was the most hilarious thing. so i let them all sit there … and they all looked like they were watching me as i sat on the couch and watched tv that night. and in the morning … i had to take a few photos. and then i yelled at the girls to pick up all their critters and get them back to their homes! lol! but i so love how their minds work … they have always been such imaginative girls. even if i have to stumble upon something weird like this every once in a while!

so, once upon a time … sarah was a finalist in a cheerios contest. it was a contest put on by a small magazine and sponsored by cheerios … all you had to do was send in photos of your babies being "messy eaters". this was sarah we're talking about … i always had plenty of pics of her making a mess with her food. so i send one it … and she was one of 12 finalists.

   

i came across these photos of her with her prize basket the other day and knew i wanted to do something with them. and then i dug out the copies of the magazine that her photo was in … the same magazine that she is holding in the pictures. and then the challenge … to actually find the original photo of her that i had sent in. i looked through old albums … i looked through boxes … and finally i found it.

 

how cute is that stinkin photo?!?! she was just about 13 months old … and she was eating spaghetti … or should i say she was "wearing" spaghetti! lol!

 

these photos were almost a year later … she was almost 2 years old. this was the prize package they send her for being a finalist … a whole ton of cheerios stuff. and for the record … we still have the cereal bowl, the spoon, and the books. we use them all.

 

i wanted to include the pages from the magazines on this layout (there were two issues) … but wanted them more hidden. this envelope from the april KOTM worked perfectly … i just added a sheet of yellow cardstock inside along with the magazine pages. the envelope is embossed with circles (and some of them are cut out to see inside … which is why i added the yellow cardstock) … but i wanted to add a little something to them. so i got out a hero arts stamp and stamped little dotted circles using some paint. and i also cut out some funky circles from black cardstock with my cuttlebug.

 

the only thing that would have made this layout better for me … is if i could have found that sheet of cheerios pattern paper that i had bought specifically for these photos about 7 years ago. lol! and since we're on the subject of food … and a little bit simpler layouts … here's another one i did just to get the pics down.

 

and if you're really curious on what goes through my mind at any given moment of any given day … i'm "twittering" now. i'm addicted to reading megan's … and she convinced me to try it out. you basically get 140 spaces to get your thought down … so it's just short and sweet quips on what i'm doing or thinking. check it out on the right sidebar. i figured i have enough random things going throuh my head … and most of them never make their way onto the blog!

i finally figured this out. every time i get done with some big assignment or project … and the stress of putting out something amazing … i find myself going back to the basics. super old photos … and simple, basic layouts. which i really love … there's just something fun about doing a layout like this.

 

i had these photos in a stack from years ago .. probably over 7 years to be exact. and some of them were already cropped to different sizes. so i just started cropping them even more … until they fit together in a nice collage. then i just adhered the entire thing to a sheet of pattern paper (by american crafts) … how easy is that? i had pulled out some sticker letters (also american crafts) … and was thinking about what my title could be. both sarah and joe walked by and said "wheee" … so i went with their idea! lol!

and the photos … how cute were the girls?!?! this was in our little tikes pool … at our old house. we still have that pool … and it's in excellent shape … well worth the $75 it cost us! they loved playing in that pool. look how much fun they were having going down that little, tiny slide. and look at alyssa, ever so gently pouring water on sarah … she was always so gentle with her. which was crazy … since sarah was always such a crazy, wild child. and that picture of alyssa all shivering and cold … she was always such the drama queen. and she had the squeakiest voice … if only you could hear her talking. and sarah … look how chubby the girl is … i want to just squeeze her!  

and i also wanted to thank a few friends … they were all nice enough to pass along the "i love your blog" award. i already handed out this award … but i wanted to thank them still. sara … such a sweet friend and i have gotten to know her tons over the last year or so. she's been one of my biggest fans of my work for years … even before she found my blog. love that! tracie … who i met through my blog ages ago. she has tons of great stamping ideas … always cute cards and projects! and heather … just an awesome person. she has the cutest online store and kit club, scrapbook bakery. and she sends everything in a cute, pink bakery box! so fun to open up!

so, make sure and go HERE to check this out:

 

i am having so much fun reading everyone's guesses! some of them just make me laugh … because i can't imagine myself doing those things. and some of them intrique me … because i think they sound like great ideas. and i think i saw a few close guesses in there too! can't wait for you all to know!

can you tell that i'm big on the word "super" lately?!?! lol! so here goes … some older than ever layouts. my "all about me" album may not be thick … but it does have a few fun layouts.

 

i made this layout about 3 years ago … it was part of my entry for the "hall of fame" contest at creating keepsakes magazine. it was the journaling assignment. i journaling this 3 years ago … as i was in my 4th year of doing daycare. and as i re-read this today … it is all still so true. i know i have blogged about my likes and my dislikes of doing daycare before …. on many occasions. and this is exactly what it comes down too. word for word … i could have written that today. i do it for my girls. and i love the daycare kids with all my heart … i've always hoped that i have made that perfectly clear … even on days when i feel the need to vent about the "job" itself. but the actual "job" part of it isn't easy … it drains me like you wouldn't believe. but i have to work … and this way i can still be here for my girls. here's a close-up of the journaling:

 

 

this layout i made 2 years ago. i actually did this for a challenge … to use a color that you normally don't use. purple … i have serious issues with the color purple! lol! i really love this layout though … love the split look of the layout … and the tags with all the fun embellishments. and if you read the journaling .. it's about how there are two sides to me. i'm a gemini after all … and i definately have the split personality going on. but it's all good … i feel life exciting for those around me … you never know which "me" you'll get from minute to minute!

 

and this one … about a few of my favorite things. i made this ages ago … at least 3 years or so i would think. some of these have changed. i don't shop all that much anymore … just for the basics. i never scrap late at night … unless it's a night that the girls are gone or spending the night somewhere (which rarely happens!). i do love to talk on the phone with friends … but never seem to do it anymore … no one is ever around these days! and i gave up my gossip magazines about 4 months ago … just stopped buying them one day. i'm so behind on what's going on in the celebrity world! and i love this design … but can't claim it as my own. i scraplifted this design from someone … can't remember exactly who. i have an idea who it was … but i'd hate to say in case i'm wrong.

so there you go … just a few of my "all about me" layouts. i really need to do more … just about random stuff. will have to work on that!

i was browsing through super old layouts today … the ones on my computer anyways. and i noticed that i didn't really have any soccer layouts. in fact … i have 1 of them. in the 6 years that the girls have been playing soccer … in the 12 teams that they have participated on … i have one stinkin layout.

   

this layout is from sarah's second year … so this was 4 years ago. look how tiny they are! but how is this the only layout i've ever made? i don't have one of alyssa at all. i guess it's because i've done albums for a lot of the years. but they've been albums for the team … like these. where i have made 24 albums at once … with just one photo of each girl on the team. last year i gave up … and didn't do them. it was the year i was secretly named the "worst team mom" by some parents (i'm thinking anyways) … because people knew me for doing these album and were expecting them. lol! but doing all those albums each year … and making DVD's with the photos … it was exhausting.

so i guess that's why i never took the time to go through pictures and narrow them down … and scrap them. i think the last 2 years … i never even had any of the pictures printed. sarah has asked me for soccer pics numerous times … when she comes across a sheet of soccer stickers and decides that she has to make a soccer layout NOW. but i just don't have any laying around. one of these days i really need to go through and do something with them … all 5 years and counting (this season is the 6th). maybe even something digital … like a photo book.

anyways … just a totally random thing there for you. lol! i just finished up a ton of assignments as of today … and i'm so excited to be done with them. they were super fun to work on … and i can't wait to see the end result. but i'm also excited to have them finished. so that i can start all the other things that i've been wanting to work on. so much to scrap … and not enough time sometimes! i have some cards already in the works … so i'll be sharing those in the next day or so. i also promise to share a few more super old layouts tomorrow. i have some "all about me" layouts that i thought would be fun to share … but i realized tonight that i have to retake the photos of them … since the ones from a few years ago are of some embarrasingly-bad quality. if i'm going to show you super old stuff … i need to at least have a super nice photo of it. lol!

i'm really digging deep to find anything to share with you. lol! don't get me wrong … i've been scrapping like crazy. so hard not to share sometimes! back in the day, i was quite famous for starting layouts and never finishing them. nowdays, i don't do that much … i'm good about finishing things pretty quickly. but i do have a small stack that has been collecting dust for a while. i found this layout in there.

 

these photos are from may of 2007 … and i started this layout about that same time. so it's been sitting around for over a year. everything was on there … except the journaling. this was from when i was on the lil davis design team … which would explain why i have that ribbon and those chipboard letters. i still love the letters … but not so much the ribbon. anyhoo … i just added a MM journaling notebook page to it for my journaling … and a scrap for the date. and guess what … after a year of sitting around … it's done. how simple was that?!?! lol!

supplies:
pattern paper – chatterbox (brown), i have no idea (grid)
ribbon, chipboard letters – lil davis
flowers, brads, notebook journaling page – making memories